discover your superpowers :: karen walrond

some of my favourite shots from ethiopia

As promised, here are some more of my favourite shots I took in Ethiopia -- ones that didn't fit easily in the stories I shared last week, but that I love anyway.  ​ There's really no rhyme or reason to them, or how they're presented here, but hopefully they'll give you a flavour of what the week felt like as a whole.

The shot above was taken on Sunday, October 6, as worshippers gathered at a large Ethiopian Orthodox church.  Often the churches are so crowded, people stand outside in the churchyard during services.​

Our lead driver, Kiru.  When he introduced himself, I asked for clarification, "I'm sorry, is your name Kiru?"  "Yes," he confirmed. And then he grinned, "Kind of like 'hero'!"  And he flexed his biceps.​

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We all laughed, but there were several times over the week that he proved himself our hero (not the least of which was smoothing things over for me with a testy cop).  And at the end of the trip, he gifted me with three CDs of Ethiopian music that he thought I would enjoy.  Great, great guy.​

​Gabrielle Blair, entering the arrivals hall at the Addis Ababa international Airport.  I love her expression of excitement on her face -- it's the same expression I saw on each blogger as they arrived (and the one I felt on my own face when I did the same).

​Boys juggle together at the Mary Joy Aid Through Development.  This particular segment of their performance was preceded by a mime, where the boy on the right "taught" the boy on the left to juggle.

Apparently he's a good learner.

​This little girl at Mary Joy tried to teach me to dance -- and when I tried to do the shoulder-popping moves that she was doing, I think she felt sorry for me, because she didn't leave my side the rest of the visit.

I seriously fell in love with her.

​Yes, this child is eating fire -- and well, by the way.  He was fantastic.

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It was only after I left Mary Joy and was processing this photo did it dawn on me that perhaps this wasn't the safest activity to teach a young boy.

​Jennifer Howze practices her Ethiopian dance moves.  She looks so graceful here, doesn't she?

At the end of our first day, we shared a traditional Ethiopian meal.  Ethiopian food is meaty, spicy, shared communally, and there aren't any utensils; you eat with your hands.

There's something very intimate about sharing a meal this way, i think.  It feels like a wonderful way to seal new friendships.​

This is Saba, one of the women who works at FashionABLE.  Here's she's preparing coffee beans for roasting, for a coffee ceremony.​

Saba also has one of the FashionABLE scarves named after her, and she shared her story of how she ended up on the streets, but more importantly, how she's now making a sustainable living off t​he streets -- and taking care of her mother, in the process.  A radiant woman.

Saba roasting the beans.  I've actually shared this image with you before, but I love it, so I'm sharing it again.  Apologies.​

Saba popping popcorn.  We were surprised that often unsalted popcorn was served with the coffee.  But honestly, it works!​

Asha Dornfest and Liz Gumbinner share Saba's fresh coffee.  I probably don't have to tell you that it was good to the last drop.​

Liz, recognizing a book at the Mojo Secondary School library.  The kids are taught in both English and Amharic.​

A midwife at a rural clinic outside of Addis Abab​a explains the conditions she is sometimes faced with in her job.

Although I was permitted to take photographs at this clinic, I chose not to -- I couldn't imagine being at a hospital feeling ill, and a photographer coming up with a camera in my face asking to take my picture.  So for the most part, I put the camera away.  But I did like the angle that this was shot, and since there were no patients in the frame,  I thought I'd share it.

Cathleen Falsani and Kelly Wickham taking in the gorgeous Ethiopia countryside, as we waited for the beekeepers to return with their beehives.​

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Kelly's gesture represents what I think we were all feeling as we looked out at the scenery before us.​

Christine Koh and Liz laughing and generally enjoying life (in their FashionABLE scarves, natch!).

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(Speaking of which!  Last night, the ONEMoms heard from the founder of FashionABLE, Barrett Ward, who said that as a result of all the scarves that were bought from people who read the ONEMoms posts this past month, FashionABLE is able to hire three more women -- that's three more women off the street, who no longer have to turn to a life of prostitution to feed themselves and their children!  You did that!  You should be seriously, seriously proud.

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These scarves are magic, I tell you.)​

Another child I fell in love with.  As I think about it, it was very easy to fall in love in Ethiopia.​

The ONEMoms (not shown, Jennifer).  A really lovely, lovely group of great women.​

And on that note, this concludes the Ethiopian portion of Chookooloonks!  Again, thanks so much for joining me on this journey, friends.  It was such a great trip, and I hope you enjoyed the photographs as much as I enjoyed taking them.​

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Song:​  Africaye by Teddy Afro.  And yes, this is a song off of one of the CDs Kiru gave me.  Love.

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__________________​

I've recently returned from a trip to Ethiopia, at the kind invitation and expense of The ONE Campaign, a nonpartisan, advocacy organization dedicated to the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa.  ONE works to convince governments to invest in smart programs that help eliminate poverty and preventable disease in a sustainable way.  I was supporting a group of  parenting bloggers by capturing images that tell the story of how the organizations for which ONE advocates are effecting real change in Ethiopia.  

If you're moved by anything you read or see here, on the ONE blog or any of the ONEMoms' blogs and you'd like to help, please consider adding your voice, and join ONE by simply filling out the surprisingly short form in my sidebar on the right.  Your information will remain confidential, I promise.  And if you're already a member, and would still like to help, I'd love if you'd spread the word by sharing this post with your friends and followers.

That's all there is to it.  Because ONE never asks for your money, just your voice.

Live Abroad at Home: Denver's Hidden Ethiopia | 303 Magazine

Earlier this week I was given an address for a meeting somewhere in the middle of Denver. When I arrived all I found was a small brown office complex with an unmarked door. I thought I must have gotten lost but after I walked through the entrance I immediately found what I was looking for, a little white plaque that read “Ethiopian Community Center Suite 219”. This is where I was to meet Millete Birhanemaskel, a young and professional looking woman who is also the founder of this brand new community center. We arranged a meeting because I, not knowing anything about Ethiopian culture, believed this was the best place to come to learn. She quickly reassured me I had come to the right place.

If you haven’t noticed the booming Ethiopian culture in Denver already, you definitely will now. Within the last several decades Ethiopians have become ever visible in our community with new restaurants, markets and now a community center popping up around town. Millete told me they estimate around 50,000 Ethiopians live in metro area, which is a huge increase from the half a dozen families that lived here when she arrived in the early eighties. She explained to me that during these early years, growing up Ethiopian in Denver was not as easy as it is now.

“Ethiopia was known for war and its famines. I never told anyone about my heritage. But today we are known internationally for our supermodels, scientists, fashion designers…Now when I tell people about myself, I say oh did you know about my heritage?”

One of the many Denver Ethiopia restaurant’s, this one painted the colors of their flag. Source: Tripadvisor.com

Millete told me how so many Ethiopian’s have thrived in the U.S. and particularly Denver. It is one of the reasons why we see so many restaurants and other Ethiopian owned establishments. It is also why I chose to profile Ethiopia because it’s the one community that seems to be making Denver a little less bland and a little more cultural. Its giving us one distinct and unique culture to really boast about in Denver, because who would have thought you could come to the middle of the U.S. and be able to have a true Ethiopian experience? Usually people expect that from New York or other coastal cities but look here it is right down the street. However so many people still only view it from the outside and don’t take that first step in. Well here are a couple of helpful ways to get you over your nerves. I think you’ll quickly find that you will enjoy it and will be coming back for more…

Do: The community center, although they just opened this month, already has a fantastic website and a full schedule of activities. Here you can come to learn one of the four Ethiopian languages they teach, take one of their cooking classes or participate in other events such as a coffee ceremony. She explained to me that the center is all about spreading Ethiopian culture and letting people know more about their community. Because Millete told me that the center is not only for Ethiopians but rather they host a variety of members from different backgrounds including many inquisitive people such as ourselves. So come here to learn about this culture from the source, get some truly authentic cooking skills and meet new and different people.

Eat: along with my trip to the community center I also received a couple of restaurant recommendations. Cafe Africana is a interesting little place located on east colfax. Outside you’ll see large paintings of famous American performers from Elvis to
Madonna (maybe?) placed above their awning. It definitely has a unique feel that adds to its “cafe” vibe. However despite the oddly placed mural the food, according to Millete is authentic and delicious. I would have to agree with her this, at least on the delicious part because I know nothing of Ethiopian cuisine, in fact this was my first time. The manager recommended a couple of plates, mainly the meat and veggie combo’s and brought out “honey wine”, which I embarrassingly asked her how to spell until I realized what she was saying. *ugh*. Nevertheless they were kind and accommodating to this first timer and helped me through me forget my embarrassing mistake. The food they brought out was unlike anything I’d seen before and consisted of a basket full of this brown spongy pancake that bounced as she placed it on the table and was accompanied by a large platter filled with colorfully spiced food.  I was intrigued by the spongy, brown pancake called Injera, that looked a little like something you put in between your wall  and I was a little nervous to try it. But immediately I realized there was nothing strange about it, rather it closely resembles that of a crepe and tastes a little like sourdough. The waitress told me that instead of silver ware you use this and a pinch and scoop method to eat your food. Sounds messy, but really it wasn’t because the bread soaks up all the wonderful spices. It was really a great experience and I definitely recommend the place!

Make: Because Injera is such a huge staple in Ethiopia because it is both their utensils and in almost every dish, of course we should learn how to make it. You can buy the main ingredient Teff at the International market on Havana or at Abyssinia Market in Park Hill. Here is an easy recipe, but forewarning although simple to make it does require extra prep time:

1 1/2 cups ground teff (180 g)
2 cups water
salt, to taste
vegetable oil, for the skillet
Directions:

1
Mix ground teff with the water and let stand in a bowl covered with a dish towel at room temperature until it bubbles and has turned sour; This may take as long as 3 days, although I had success with an overnight fermentation; The fermenting mixture should be the consistency of a very thin pancake batter.
2
Stir in the salt, a little at a time, until you can barely detect its taste.
3
Lightly oil an 8 or 9 inch skillet (or a larger one if you like); Heat over medium heat.

 4

Pour in enough batter to cover the bottom of the skillet; About 1/4 cup will make a thin pancake covering the surface of an 8 inch skillet if you spread the batter around immediately by turning and rotating the skillet in the air; This is the classic French method for very thin crepes; Injera is not supposed to be paper thin so you should use a bit more batter than you would for crepes, but less than you would for a flapjack pancakes.
5
Cook briefly, until holes form in the injera and the edges lift from the pan; Do not let it brown, and don’t flip it over as it is only supposed to be cooked on one side.
6
Remove and let cool. Place plastic wrap or foil between successive pieces so they don’t stick together.
7
To serve, lay one injera on a plate and ladle your chosen dishes on top (e.g., a lovely doro wat or alicha). Serve additional injera on the side. Guests can be instructed to eat their meal without utensils, instead using the injera to scoop up their food.

Recipe courtesy of  http://www.food.com/recipe/authentic-injera-aka-ethiopian-flat-bread-96980?oc=linkback